Delightfully Da Leo

This Tuscan Restaurant Is a Lincoln Road Staple

By Mark Goldberg

Da Leo Trattoria celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. That’s quite an achievement for a restaurant on Lincoln Road Mall. Oh, sorry. That was the original da Leo, in Lucca Italy. Thing is, it’s really not much different from the da Leo that is on Lincoln Road. Owner Leonardo Marchini — a descendant of Baron Leopoldo who opened the original — grew up in Lucca. And it’s his philosophy to prepare food just the way it has always been done. “We don’t invent anything. With Italian food you have tens of thousands of dishes, so you don’t need to invent,” he says. And the fact that his da Leo has been serving straightforward Italian dishes for 14 years, making it the second-oldest restaurant on Lincoln Road, is a testament to that philosophy.

Practically everything has remained the same at da Leo over the years. The menu has expanded slightly, the occasional server may come and go, but Chef Gerardo Echevarria is a constant. And he still spends every summer in Lucca, learning. But the menu and the warmth of the trattoria are all Marchini.

We began with some of the simple dishes. The Mussels ($13.95), sautéed in white wine, arrived plump and sweet, in a light marinara broth that had a nice smoky flavor. We could have ordered them in a white wine and lemon sauce, but we saved that for our order of Clams ($13.95). Neither was overpowering, more satisfying. “Italians have become more health conscious,” says Marchini, “so we use less salt. We don’t use a lot of garlic, either. It’s a fallacy that Italians use a lot of garlic. They really don’t. We just cook with it and then remove it before the dish is brought to the table.” The Beef Carpaccio ($11.95) was also simple in presentation, with the quality beef razor-sliced and topped with shaved parmigiano, a little olive oil and mixed greens. An original dish was the Hearts of Palm ($15.95) wrapped with smoked salmon, the salty fillet melding perfectly with the light stalks on a bed of mixed greens.

The Gnocchi ($19.95), an evening special, were heavenly, because nothing on earth could have been that light. Never have we tasted any that were so cloud-like, even with the potential heaviness of a gorgonzola sauce. Another special was the Mixed Seafood Risotto ($27.95). Marchini announces in his menu that risotto will be prepared al dente unless otherwise requested. And so it was, giving more body to the Arborio rice. The fish stock and butter added to the flavor and the scallops, mussels, clams and shrimp couldn’t have been better. The Linguine With Shrimp and Asparagus ($17.95) reminded us again that there was no need to overburden a dish with heavy additional ingredients.

Our Veal Marsala ($19.95), was moist and tender and the blending of the sweet Marsala wine with the earthy mushrooms made for an exceptional dish. It was served with a vegetable medley and roasted potatoes. Neither of those accompaniments shared the spotlight with the Osso Bucco ($30.95). Prepared classically, the veal shank was cooked with a base of pureed onions, celery, carrots and tomatoes, then simmered for three hours until the meat was soft. There are two ossos on the menu, but we chose a special featuring a bed of mixed mushroom risotto. The Tuscan Style Steak ($25.95) was tender, deliciously seasoned, and sliced before being brought to the table on a plate so hot it wilted the accompanying salad. We, of course, had to have the Fisherman’s Soup ($23.95). The bowl simply overflowed with fresh seafood. Clams, shrimp, calamari, mussels, scallops and pieces of red snapper were simmered in a delicious fish stock. The only thing missing was some garlic crostini.

Da Leo has just initiated Tuscan Tuesdays, when for $18.95 you can get a salad or soup and a choice of any one of 16 entrées. And bottles of wine are half-price. Or, you can choose from the Prix Fixe dinner any evening, when for $27.50, you can get a three-course meal and a glass of wine. That’s a price that outspices Miami Spice.

We completed our Tuscan meal with a light Tiramisu ($6.50), a Chocolate Mousse ($6.50) made with dark Brazilian chocolate, and an Italian Strudel ($6.50) with apples, pine nuts and raisins.

We’ve never been to Lucca, but by dining at da Leo we clearly enjoyed a part of its history.

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